


Chasing Pavement

by SketchbookThingz



Series: Wonderwall [2]
Category: Benedict Cumberbatch - Fandom, Thomas Hiddleston - Fandom, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom, brandon flowers - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-07
Updated: 2014-10-01
Packaged: 2018-01-14 21:39:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 19,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1279819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SketchbookThingz/pseuds/SketchbookThingz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part 2 of eternal sunshine. </p><p>Elizabeth is gone, and Thomas won't give up on her. But what will he do when he sees that she is moving on? Is she really moving on? Or  are they both lying to themselves?</p><p>Story is partly inspired by chasin pavement by adele, and do i want to know by the arctic monkeys</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dinner dates and a double date

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for your support on part one. Here's part two. Please continue to comment and let me know what you do or do not like =) <3

It had been two months since Thomas had last seen Elizabeth, and he slowly was getting adjusted to life without her. When she first left he called and looked for her, to no avail. After a week he finally realized she was right. 

He had spent the majority of his life with one person, and quickly fell in love with her. Maybe he did need to date around.

But he couldn't stop thinking about her. 

The days began to blend together. Work, home. Work, home. Work, home.

Being out was just something he could not handle, he would always find something Elizabeth would love. Or something that they would love together. 

Benedict had started dating again and tried convincing Thomas to go out with him every once in a while. But he always declined. 

April was just ending as he found himself at his desk, surfing through the internet googling her name. Finding many photos from the last couple of months. She had covered the pillow fight in Trafalgar square, a bull fight in Spain, and then in Scotland covering the John Muir Festival. 

"Thomas," he looked up to see Sam standing in the doorway. "How are you doing." 

Swiftly he closed his laptop and walked over to Sam. "Good, how about yourself?" he asked as they men embraced in a hug. 

"Busy." Thomas smiled at him as he sat in his chair and Sam on the couch across his desk. 

"This is strictly a social call." Sam said as he sat on the couch. "The wife and girls wanted to come back and vacation for a while so here we are. Thought I would just pass by and see how you are doing." 

"Good," Thomas smiled as he leaned back into the chair. "Work is great." 

Sam's hair had grown longer, almost reaching his shoulders, and he had become more muscular. No doubt from lifting those girls up, twirling them around. Sam's hazel eyes bore into Thomas blue.

"Work isn't what I meant." 

Thomas took a deep breath in as he stared off out of the window over London. He slowly let it out as he turned around and faced Sam again. "Okay." 

Sam smiled, "Well, if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you. Before I go I have a rather interesting client, that I need your help with." 

"Well then, lets hear it." Thomas said intrigued as he leaned forward across his desk. 

"I met a client who just acquired some land. They are trying to fix it up, they're expecting children soon, and they have some demands that require some creative thinking that I cant do on my own. Money is no object in this project, they just want exactly what they want and they'll pay for it."

"What kind of creative thinking are we talking about here?"

"They want to be able to have their bed roll out onto a balcony to lay under the stars. They want a secret bookcase that is actually a door to a play area, just to name some of the demands."

"Wow," Thomas said as he laid back thinking about how to accomplish these tasks.

"So what do you say?"

Thomas looked at Sam "When do we start?"

Sam laughed "That's what i like to hear." They shook hands as he walked Sam out to the elevator. 

"Well if you want you can join Ruby and I for dinner later on. You can come meet the girls." 

Thomas smiled, "I would enjoy that." 

That night he met them at an Indian family restaurant on the west side of London, and easily spotted them at a booth. 

"Hey Tom." Sam said as he scoot over in the booth to make room for him. "This is my wife Ruby, and our daughters Ellen and Jo." 

Ruby was beautiful with black wavy hair that reached past her shoulders, and was dressed modestly. "Hello." she smiled as reached over the table to shake Thomas hand. 

"Hello!" the oldest of the two girls said, as she reached over the table and tried to shake Thomas' hand as well. 

"This is Ellen, she's eight years old, and thinks herself to be in her eighties." Ruby said as Thomas shook the girls hand, she looked nothing like Sam, and more like Ruby, but as if reading his mind Ruby than explained. "She's from my first marriage, and Jo here," she wrapped her right arm around the toddler next to her, "Is about to turn two this year." 

The little one smiled up at Thomas as she suckled some juice from a sippy cup in her hand. For the rest of the night Thomas listened to the couple tell him stories of the past, and even discussed some work. Being at this dinner with them made him feel at ease. Listening to their heartbreak and how they met, gave him hope. Maybe there was someone else out there for him. 

Maybe Elizabeth was just in his life to prove to him that he could love again. That Jessica wasn't the end of the line. That Elizabeth wasn't the end of the line. That the line would keep going whether they were there with him or not. 

As Thomas and Sam were settling the bill, Ruby headed out to the car with Ellen and Jo. 

"Thanks again for inviting me out with your family." Thomas thanked him as Sam headed out and he to the bathroom. 

Thomas smiled to himself, he felt better after tonight's dinner. As he headed to the loo, the heard a familiar voice. 

It was Jaime, he surveyed the room quickly looking for her. 

His heart stopped. Jaime was there.

Sitting across from her was Simon, next to Simon was Benedict and across from Benedict, sitting next to Jaime, in what looked like a n obvious double date, was Elizabeth. 

And seeing the smile on her face caused his heart to fall to the bottom of his stomach.


	2. Coffee and Jaime

The weekend passed and Thomas began to feel slightly bitter. And though he would rather not admit it, jealous.

That monday he decided to stop for some breakfast at a coffee shop a block away from the office.

As he exited with a tea for himself and a decaffeinated over sugary drink for Jaime, he bumped into someone.

"Im sorry." He quickly said as he say he had spilled his drink on her.

"Its quite alright, I’m a clumsy oaf if you hadn’t spilled something on me i would have spilt something on myself on my way out." The woman said as she wiped her shirt with napkins.

She had chocolate brown eyes, with matching pixie like hair. She was wearing yoga pants, with tennis shoes, and a blue fitted t shirt that now was covered in his tea.

"Im so sorry." He repeated again as he left the empty cup and Jaime’s drink on a nearby table as he handed more napkins to her. Something inside him set aflame. She reminded him of Elizabeth, and it made him angry. But then as he handed her another napkin and said "My names Tom. I work a block away from here, I would love to make it up to you sometime."

The girl looked up at him and smirked slightly as she continued to dab napkins on her t shirt. He wasn’t bad looking, and he wasn’t a jerk. 

"Name’s Emma." she said as she held out her hand to shake his. 

After some number exchanging and promises of meeting up sometime when their schedules would allow them too, they parted.

Thomas whistled a little tone as we walked into the office and smiled at Jaime at he handed her the drink he got her. 

"Well someone seems to be in great spirits." Jaime smiled as she pushed herself out of her chair. Her ever growing abdomen was bigger than ever, and Jaime was becoming anxious about when the baby would finally come. 

"Yes I am." Thomas said rather happily as he walked into his office, and Jaime waddled behind him. 

"Well, spill." She said as she lowered herself onto the couch slowly and began to sip on the drink Thomas had bought her. 

"I have a date." he simply said as he opened his laptop and began to look for a place to take Emma. 

"Good," Jaime said as she smiled back at him. "I’m glad that you guys are talking again." 

Perplexed by the confused look Thomas was giving her she asked, “You’re not talking about Elizabeth are you?” 

"No." Thomas simply said. 

"Oh," Jaime said as she began to get up. "I just thought you guys started talking again, she doesn’t talk often to me anymore." 

"Jaime , she left. She’s already dating other people, and I’m not just going to sit and wait for her to come back." 

Jaime shook her head as she began to exit his office. “I didn’t say you should, and she’s not by the way.”

"I understand she’s your best friend, but you don’t have to lie about it to me. I saw her on a date. It’s okay." 

Jaime looked at him quite confused as if she herself had no idea what Thomas was talking about. 

"Look, I have to go greet your next client," Jaime said as she walked over to Thomas and looked him eye and rather sternly said  "But before I do, just know that in the past eight years that I have known you, I have never lied to you. And I am not going to start now. She may be my best friend, but I have never lied to you nor will I. It hurts me so to know that you think that of me." 

She left him speechless as waddled out his office to her desk to greet his next client. 


	3. Emergency

"Morning." he heard a voice say to him as a gentle kiss was planted on his cheek. 

Thomas rolled over and smiled as Emma smiled back at him. He was still naked, but she on the other hand was fully dressed, "I didn't want to leave without letting you know that I was leaving." 

Wrapping an arm around her waist he pulled her down onto the bed and close to him as he kissed her again. "You have to leave already?" he said as he nuzzled himself against the crevice of her neck. "I do indeed darling. But if you get dressed soon, we can make it to the coffee shop together for a quick breakfast." 

With a smile on his face he quickly got up and began to get dressed. They walked hand in hand as they exited the coffee shop and exchanged their goodbyes as they parted outside the door. 

Before beginning his walk to the office, he re entered the coffee shop and bought something for Jaime. 

Since accusing her of lying to him a two weeks ago, things had not been the same. She was no longer welcoming and inviting. The only things she would say to him were "Hello," "Your client is here," and "goodbye." 

He knew he had no one else to blame but himself, but he still did not know whether or not to believe Jaime. But what he did know was that the only person that he called friend was no longer his friend. And his heart had broken again when he realized this. Jaime had been through his last seven years with him. He made his way up with another sugary decaffeinated drink for Jaime. When the doors opened she was already sitting at her desk shuffling through paperwork. 

"Morning." he said as he approached her desk slowly as he set down her drink in front of her. 

"Hello. Thank you." she simply said not looking up from her paperwork. 

"Jaime." he said as he sat on the chair across from her desk. 

"Yes?" she replied never looking up. 

"Jaime, please." he said as he dragged the chair up to her desk and tried to get her attention.  After realizing that he was not leaving until she talked to him, she finally looked up. "Yes Thomas?" 

"I'm sorry." he plainly said. 

"I know, and I forgive you. Still doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt." 

"I know, and I just don't know how to make it up to you." 

"You don't have to make anything up to me, you have to show me! Ug. You men are just so complicated aren't you." 

Her hormones had been in overdrive lately, and as she realized that she was snapping it was her time to apologize. 

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be cross, it's just these hormones, and anticipation is killing me." 

"I understand," Thomas sympathized. "And it's okay, I deserved it. I've been a jackass." 

Jaime smiled as took a sip out of her drink. "You have been, but like I said you're a man, its come to be expected." 

He let out a small laugh. "How have you been doing?" 

"Good," she said as she rubbed her belly. "Just anxious, waiting. And you?" 

"Good," he smiled thinking about Emma.

"Are you still seeing that girl with the short hair?" 

"Yeah." 

She nodded as she took another sip, and he couldn't help but ask. "How's Elizabeth?" 

Jaime let out a laugh. "She's completely mad. Not leaving is beginning to take its toll on her. She never leaves the house except for errands." 

"She's living with you?" 

"For the time being. She bought a house and is just waiting for everything to go through to move in." 

He nodded as he drank his coffee, "How about dating wise?" he pushed as he looked down at his feet. 

Jaime laughed again, "I told you, she hasn't, she's been so excited about the baby that she hasn't had the time to meet anyone. I keep trying to set her up on dates, and she refuses to. Too busy. She tells me. I just think-" 

She looked up and changed her mind, "It doesn't matter what I think, the answer is no. She's not dating anyone." 

Inside Thomas was a bit relief that was the answer, but now he needed to know why they had been out. If it wasn't a date what was it. But before he got to ask, Jaime sprung up from her chair with a yelp and held onto her belly.  "Are you okay?" Thomas asked worried as he rushed over and helped her stand up. 

"Yeah, just a minor pain, I think its ov- AAHH!" she moaned again. "Call Elizabeth, call Elizabeth." she said fast as she shoved her phone at him and sat back down. Both hands on her belly and groaning in pain. 

"Why, not Simon?" Thomas said as a feeling of dread filled him at the thought of talking to Elizabeth. 

"Because," Jaime muttered in between groans, "I don't want to worry him, he's at work. NOW CALL ELIZABETH." she demanded through clenched teeth. 

Using Jaime's phone he used her speed dial to call Elizabeth. It rang twice before Elizabeth picked up with a happy tone. "Jelly bean! What's going on? Want to have lunch together?" 

His heart stopped, it had been so long since he heard her voice, and it made his blood warm and his cheek flush just hearing it. Jaime let out another scream. 

"Jaime?!" Elizabeth said panicked into the phone. 

"It Tom." he finally said. 

"What's going on? Is she okay?" 

"I think I'm having contractions." she yelled towards the phone. Thomas put her on speakerphone. 

"Take deep breaths, remember what they taught us in the Lamaze class. Just breath." 

Jaime nodded her head as if she was actually there with her. 

"Ben!" Elizabeth yelled in the background, "Give me your car keys. I have an emergency. Keep breathing Jaime bean, you got this." 

The sound of her getting into a car and shutting the door as she turned the ignition on filled the office. 

"Elizabeth it's not time. It's May, baby isn't due till end of June." 

"I know love," Elizabeth said as she began to drive. "Just stay calm please. This could just be like they taught us in class, Braxton hicks, they happen."

"You have to take me to my doctor," Jaime moaned. 

"Hon, as soon as I get there, we will figure it out okay. But for now, I'm on my way." 

"No Lizzie, you have to." Jaime moaned, Thomas looked down at her pants, they were wet and he knew why she was adamant about going to her doctor.

"Elizabeth, her water just broke." Thomas said into the phone as he helped Jaime out of the chair and up onto her feet. 

"Okay, I'm coming as fast as I can, I'm going to take you to Saint Mary's." 

"No! I need to see MY doctor." Jaime groaned.

"Jaime this is no time to argue! Have Tom help you down stairs we are going to Saint Mary's its the closest hospital, just on the other side of Hyde. I'm going to hang up now and call Simon and tell him to meet us there. I will call you back immediately I promise." 

"You better!" Jaime groaned as she let Thomas help her down the hall. 

Thomas panicked he was not prepared for a moment like this, he jammed his fist on the elevator call button multiple times as they waited. 

"Oh god." Jaime began to cry. "This can't be happening, it's not supposed to be here yet." 

"It's going to be okay." he said as he wrapped an arm around her and helped her into the elevator. 

Once downstairs, Elizabeth had already pulled up to the front of the building and was racing in through the front door. 

"Oh bean." Elizabeth said as she stood on the other side of her and helped him take Jaime to the car. She opened the back door and helped her in.

 "Oh god!" Jaime screamed in agony as she began to breath fast. 

"I called the hospital and let them know we're on our way." Elizabeth said as she got into the back with Jaime and handed Thomas the keys, "You know the way?" 

He nodded as he began to drive and listened to the women in the back. 

"Just breath," Elizabeth muttered as she held her close and began to fan her with some random magazine that was on the floor of the car. 

 "YOU BREATH!" Jaime snapped at Elizabeth, who had began to sweat in Elizabeth's arms. 

They pulled up to the hospital and a nurse was outside waiting with another nurse and a wheelchair. They helped Jaime out of the car and into the wheel chair, as they raced her in and into a room. 

Simon ran in a couple of minutes after they had already wheeled her into a room. Elizabeth walked him over, and was ordered to leave. Only one person was allowed in the room with Jaime, and since Simon was the father,  he had right to stay. 

Elizabeth and Thomas sat in the waiting room, just waiting for news. Elizabeth began pacing nervously after an hour. "Can you please sit." Thomas finally said. 

"Why?" Elizabeth muttered as she began to bite her finger nails. 

"Because you're making me nervous." 

She let herself plop onto one of the chairs and curled her legs underneath her. And he let himself take the sight of her in. Her hair was slightly longer than he remembered it, it reached past her shoulders, and curled slightly at the end, her bangs were as long as her face and she kept them tucked behind her left ear, causing them to curl over her left eye. Her body frame was thinner than he remembered. It looked like she hadn't been eating in a while, but she wasn't wasted away either. She still retained all the curves that had captured his attention nearly a year ago. 

She than let her head back onto the wall as she let a sigh out of frustration. On instinct alone he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her against him. They sat there for what seemed forever, until finally a nurse appeared and announced. 

"It's a girl." 

Elizabeth jumped up in joy and Thomas stood up with a smile on his face. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she cried in happiness. "A baby girl! My goddaughter!" Elizabeth cried as she kissed him hard on the lips, and then turned back to the nurse.

"When can I see her?" 

"They are just finishing up in the nursery, you can go and see the mother." 

Elizabeth nodded as she began to hastily make her way down the corridors to Jaime's room, leaving Thomas in awe in the waiting room alone. 


	4. Genevieve

A month had passed after Thomas left the hospital. He felt cheated and confused. He had moved on from her only to be pulled back into her.

He left the hospital and didn't look back. In fact he called Emma over to his apartment and had sex with her on every surface he could possible.

Laying in bed, his eyes staring up at the ceiling while Emma slept in his arms, he realized that he was not over Elizabeth. He loved her. He had been trying to hard to prove that he could move on past her, that he had moved on.But he never realized that the only person he was proving that to was himself.

The next morning he called Sam. He requested that he find someone to watch over the office while Jaime recovered, and he dived into the house project that he had offered to him a couple of weeks ago.

"Well, give me to the end of the day to get the address and keys from the owner. I was unable to get the blueprints so you're going to have to visit the place yourself to map it out."

Thomas sighed as he waited all day, Emma was a school teacher which only left evening and weekends for them. He lounged around the apartment until he had enough and decided to walk through Hyde for some fresh air.

\--

Elizabeth smiled as she carried baby Genevieve in her arms. Jaime had finally fallen asleep, Simon had gone back to work, which left her to tend to the fussy baby.

"We have to let your mommy sleep." she whispered as she rocked her. "She's very tired of being up with you all night. Yes she is. Yes she is. I bet you are tired too, aren't you."

The little girl looked up at Elizabeth with huge bright blue eyes she inherited from Simon, and a smile she inherited from her mother.

At that moment, she felt her biological clock close in on her. She stood against the counter in the kitchen as she warmed up a bottle of the baby's mothers milk in a pot of water of the stove, as she realized that she had spent so much time looking for someone to marry and love, that she realized she would never have a child at this rate.

A pit in her stomach rose as she sat on the couch in the living room and got ready to feed the newborn. Tears welled in her eyes. "You know," she whispered, "I'll tell you a story, since you're such a good listener." She settled against the couch in a comfortable position, with a pillow underneath her arms to help support the infant.

As the girl latched onto the bottle, Elizabeth sighed, "I did find someone I would have loved to have a child with, but my past was too great for him to get over. But it's my fault. See your auntie looked for love in all the wrong places. She ran towards it, instead of waiting for it. And now that your auntie finally realizes her mistakes, it's too late. She blew it with the one person on the planet that she loves."

The little one looked up at her with curious eyes as she suckled on the bottle. "Learn from your auntie. Love will make itself known, never chase it." Laying a kiss on the infants forehead she stood up in a swift movement and began to carry the little one into her nursery.

Benedict and Elizabeth had spent the last month working on decorating the room. Benedict did it as a present for Jaime and Simon, and Elizabeth in return did a mini photo shoot for him and his girlfriend. The four would occasionally go out for dinner at the end of the day to stay away from the paint fumes. 

And one day while Jaime and Simon were both at work, Elizabeth helped him sneak in the thing that they had been working on for months, a black dresser that they had turned into a baby closet. They were just finishing put the clothes and labeling the cabinets when Jaime had called saying that she has gone into labor. Or rather Thomas called. And she left Benedict behind, while she took his car to see Jaime.

She sighed again as she laid the now sleeping infant down into her crib to sleep. Then an idea came into her head. 

Why did she need a man for a baby? She could easily have a baby herself. There are millions of children around the world who need parents, and Elizabeth smiled to herself as she headed back down to the living room with the baby monitor.

She would stop looking for someone to love, and just adopt the family she always wanted. For the first time in her life, she realized that she didn't need a husband to make her family a reality. Just love.

\--

Thomas got a call back from Sam around four in the evening, giving him the address and letting him know that he let the client left the key under the welcome mat. He also informed Thomas that the client would be out for a month so he had some time to get the ideas he needed and a head start on the project. 

The home was off Newton Grove on Bedford Road just a block or so from the park. A brick laid house with more windows than he could count and trees outlined the the house, he drove up the driveway and couldn't help but whistle to himself as he turned the engine off and made his way up. 

After doing a walk about the house he concluded that the house had a total of five bed rooms. A living room, a dining room, a kitchen, three bathrooms, an indoor swimming pool and a drawing room that looked out into a backyard, in which he could have build a playground in. As he finished his tour and returned back to the front he finally took a good look around, realizing that there were notes on every door which seemed to be left behind by the clients who hired them. 

As he reached the first room, the note read,  _This it to be our room. It should be big and spacious, simple and clean. The bed should also be big to give us enough space, in case one of the children fall ill, or get scared and need to spend the night in our bed._ He chuckled to himself as he continued to walk around. 

The second room had another note,  _This is to be a boys room, should contain any theme of adventure. Maybe a hidden cabinet. We'll think about it._  

He continued to walk on and on, each note carefully thought out and written.  _This is to be the girls room, it should contain a level of 'girlness' without confining her within social norms. Maybe lavender walls, with a science flair. Maybe space._

_Backyard. We are going to get some dogs, maybe some cats, would like a little outdoor home for them. Along with a big garden. We're thinking about planting some sunflowers, maybe some African daisies._

The notes went on and on. After reading them he sat in his car hours later on his way back to the apartment, realizing that he was building his dream home for someone else. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 


	5. Jaime's Birthday Surprise

Thomas had thrown himself into work to get his mind off of everything. He had started to spend less time with Emma as he stayed at the house more often.

There was something about that place. Sure it was smaller than what Jessica and him had, but it felt right. He just wanted to be in that house.

As the month began to come to a close Jaime called and let him know that she was feeling better and willing to go back to work.

The house wasn't done but Sam told Thomas that the client would be coming back home for a while and leaving again within a month for an indefinite amount of time. Giving him more time to finish.

"Wow," Thomas replied. "What do they do for a living that they can just travel all the time. "

"I don't really know, just those wealthy kind that get it inherited so they don't have to worry about." Sam laughed. 

July came quickly and Jaime was once again back at her post outside of Thomas' office. He walked in with a sugary drink for her. 

"Oh coffee!!" she smiled as took it up and sipped on it. "Oh sweet sweet caffeine." 

He laughed at her face of ecstasy. "How are you Jaime?" 

"Good. Good. A bit tired, but I had Elizabeth and Simon switch on and off with me so I could get sleep. It's a nice system." She smiled up at him. 

Her glasses were no longer horn rimmed and her hair was down. He could see a difference in her already. Motherhood was changing her, slowly, but a good change.  He smiled as he thought again about the things that he would think about when he would have dinner with Elizabeth and they talked about Genevieve. Quickly, he shook the thoughts off and went to sit at his desk. 

June passed by faster than anyone expected. As June ended and July began, Elizabeth began to come by the office for lunch dates with Jaime, with Genevieve in tow. Thomas would hide in his office, something about seeing her with a child on her hip triggered something within him, made him uncomfortable. 

It was the morning of the 18th of when Elizabeth came in with a huge smile on her face, "Jaime, we're going to have an early birthday party." 

Jaime laughed as she got her purse and reached for Genevieve , "Well its pretty early, my birthday is not for another week." 

"I know hence why I said early. I have to leave soon, and I won't be back in time for your birthday, so I thought an early birthday would be great." 

Just as the girls were leaving, Thomas came out of his office to see them giggle and play with Genevieve as they waited for the elevator to appear. He wanted to say something but instead just watched. 

As the elevator doors opened someone else stepped out, it was Emma. 

"Hi Jaime, this must be your little one." she said with a smile on her face as she stepped off the elevator and played with the little ones arms. 

"Yes," Jaime beamed with a huge smile on her face, "This is Genevieve and this my friend Elizabeth. Elizabeth, this is Emma." 

"Oh!," Elizabeth said with a huge smile on her face as she reached out to shake Emma's hand. "You are so beautiful, you're a school teacher right?"

Emma blushed as she shook Elizabeth's hand and nodded a yes. Thomas wanted to walk over and save Emma, but his feet were glued to the ground, she just called his current girlfriend beautiful.

 "Yes." Emma simply replied as she stood in front of these two women that had been such a big part of his life. 

"Liz." Jaime urged as she held the elevator doors open. 

"Sorry. We have lunch reservations, but it was wonderful meeting you." Elizabeth said as she shook her hand again. "I would love it if you modeled for me sometime, I have this project I have to do, and I think you would be wonderful. Oh also there's a party soon, I'll have Jaime tell you all about it." 

"Sure." Emma replied as the elevator doors began to close. She chuckled to herself as she walked over to Thomas and kissed him on the cheek. "Your friends are the sweetest people on earth." 

Thomas cleared his throat as he was taken out of this surreal moment. "Yeah. They are." 

\--

The next four days passed by faster than expected and Friday was upon them. 

"Why is she throwing this party?" Thomas asked Jaime as they rode the elevator down.

"She won't be here for my birthday so she wants to throw an early birthday party before she leaves." 

"Oh." Thomas said, "Where is she off to this time?"

Jaime shrugged "Says that she doesn't want to tell me yet." The doors opened and Thomas held it open for Jaime.

"Thank you. So see you later tonight?"

He nodded "I just have to pick up Emma and we'll head over."

As the couple pulled up to the address that Jaime gave him, an giggle rose in Emma, it it was a karaoke bar. Elizabeth had rented out a private room for the party. 

Sam and Ruby were already singing with a beers in hand as they walked in. The couple had got a sitter for the night to take care of Ellen, Jo and Geneive and the couple were making the most of their night out. Simon and Jaime were together in a corner and Elizabeth was just taking photographs again. 

"Hey!" Elizabeth smiled as she saw them walk in. There were another three people there that he had not met before, but they were chatting along with Jaime, so it was safe to say that they were also friends. "Come in the food just got here and the drinks are taken care of, order whatever you want." 

Emma smiled as she found a seat. As Sam and Ruby finished singing, they grabbed Elizabeth's arm and forced her to sing something. She took a quick shot of sake before taking the microphone and singing  Come Fly with Me. As she did, Thomas couldn't help but reminisce about that video he had seen in New York, Elizabeth as a child and her parents. He was quickly snapped back to reality as Emma spoke asking if he wanted to do a duet together.  

While they sang Dancing In The Street, Thomas couldn't help but watch Elizabeth as she talked up one of the three other guests, he was smiling as she laughed, consumed in conversation. The rest of night was filled with fumbling and muttering as the alcohol continued to flow. 

As the hours drew closer to midnight Elizabeth took the microphone and began a speech. 

"Okay everyone, settle down. So this place is going to be closing soon, so I have to wrap this up. The reason that I threw a early going away party for Jaime today is because I will be out of town next week on a new assignment."

Everyone cheered. 

"Settle down, thank you. I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon, but I wanted you all to know, as you are all big parts of my life, that this is the assignment that I have dreamed off since starting my photo journalism career. Hell, since my parents first bought me a camera and told me that I had talent." 

Simon laughed, "Shut it and tell us where you're going." 

Everyone hollered in laughter and began to chant, "Tell us. Tell us. Tell us. Tell us." 

Elizabeth laughed, "Okay, I will be on assignment for an indefinite amount of time, starting tomorrow, in the Ukraine."  

The room went silent. 

And Thomas was sure that everyone could hear the sound of his heart dropping into his stomach.


	6. Leavings and Decisions

"Can't you talk any sense to her?" Thomas pleaded with Jaime. "She can't leave." 

Jaime's eyes were red from crying. She was standing in her living room rocking Genevieve to sleep. After not being able to sleep all night, Thomas had shown up at four in the morning, asking, no demanding that Jaime talk Elizabeth into staying. 

"For the millionth time, no Thomas." she walked away. 

"Can't you see that she'll get hurt." 

"Thomas," she said as she laid the infant in her play pen in a corner, "I can not do that. I spent the last couple of years telling her every choice she made in life was wrong. And she can't hear it from me again. She has a career and this is what she has building her career for. Something that will matter." 

"It won't matter if she gets hurt, or worse, dead!" 

"DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT!" Jaime screamed back at him as more tears began to stream down her cheeks. "She has never done anything but support me, and it's about time that I start supporting her back." 

Thomas looked at her with all hope gone. "But I love her." he whispered to himself.

"You're telling the wrong person." Jaime sniffled as she wiped her tears off with the sleeve of her sweater. With that Jaime turned her back to him as she tended to Genevieve again. "Thomas, please leave. You're making this harder on us than it already is." 

As we walked out of Jaime's' home the only thing that he could think of was driving to the airport. Maybe he could catch her before she left. 

But what would he say? What would he do? And would she stay?

After driving around for two hours he finally decided that he had no right to change her mind. He called Emma to see if she was busy and asked her over for the night. 

\--

"We're getting no where here!" JJ said frustrated as he threw his notepad against their hotel room wall. 

He was the lead journalist on Elizabeth's team. It comprised of him as the writer, her as the photographer, and one more person who video recorded JJ's report and edited it for the news station. They were stuck in the same place since getting to the Ukraine two months ago.

Reporters weren't allowed out of the area and only most of them ventured at the most a mile out of the area. For the past hour JJ had been trying to convince his camera man to leave the 'base' and venture out for a real story. 

"Lets see what really is going on out there!" JJ kept saying over and over. But with endless reports of people being hurt, and people disappearing no one dared think it, alone consider it. 

Elizabeth had her own battles to fight. No one would take her seriously, it was the 21st century, and people still were acting as if women had no place in the journalism. The fact that she was still being treated this way only fueled her need to be there more. To get the photo that no one else could get and be treated like an equal.

Their third month into their stay, Elizabeth was in the lobby of their hotel getting ready for another walk out, when another photographer made another snide remark about her body and she should be serving the troops rather than playing photo shop, when she finally snapped. 

She strapped her camera around her, packed a backpack with waters, and went to find JJ. 

She found him in the hotel room on his laptop writing something, when he looked up, "Are you going home?"

"No," she simply said with conviction, "We're going out." 

He got up and stood right in front of her. "Are you sure about this?" 

"Yes. You need a story, I need a photo. No one will take your story seriously without photographic evidence, and no one will take my photo serious without your story. So we're going out there."

A smile spread across his face, and she looked away, he reminded her of Thomas sometimes, and it made her homesick. But right now she had bigger fish to fry.

Walking over to the door he picked up a backpack and opened the hotel room door. "Well then Ms. Reynolds what are we waiting for."

  

 


	7. Believe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for continuing to read <3 It means so much to me. Please continue to let me know what you do or do not like. This chapter came to me while I was listening to The Bravery's "Believe."

"Oh Elizabeth." Thomas moaned as his naked body thrust forward again. 

"Stop!" Emma yelled as she put her hands on his chest and shoved him off of her. 

"I'm so sorry." Thomas sputtered as he quickly gathered sheets around himself, as Emma looked for her clothes on the bedroom floor. 

"You know I believed it the last time. This time I don't." she explained through gritted teeth as she put her bra and panties on. 

As he wrapped the sheet around his waist, he pushed off the bed and wrapped an arm around her waist as he kissed the back of her neck. She leaned forward away from his kiss as she pulled on her jeans. 

"No Thomas. This was fun while it lasted, but I can't do this." 

"Do what?" he said as he looked for his boxers on the floor and quickly slipped them on. 

"This." she said as she put her socks and shoes on. "This whole, be with you even though you are clearly thinking of someone else." 

"I am not, it was just a mistake." 

She smirked as she put her shirt on, "The first time was a mistake, second time," she laughed to herself as she grabbed her purse of his night stand. "Is something that I can not ignore."

Thomas sat glued to the edge of the bed as he watched her walk to him and kiss his cheek. 

"Goodbye Thomas." 

After an hour Thomas got dressed and headed to the house. It was nearly done, as he had spent most of his free time there. Five months had passed since Elizabeth had left for the Ukraine. Birthdays and anniversaries passed, but weren't celebrated. 

Jaime was the one that had taken it the hardest. While at the office she would check on her computer constant updates on news websites. It had been three months since Elizabeth's last email to her, and she was on a constant panic that she'd see her name on an obituary. But she never failed to greet clients with a smile on her face and up beat demeanor. 

Life continued in London, and it filled Thomas' stomach with sour acid that it did. After turning the ignition off, he stared up at the house. It angered him so that it was not his.

Walking through it he felt proud of his work. The main bedroom was an off colored egg white, with a simple king sized bed, and minimal furniture.

The boy room was painted different shades of blue with planets planted on it, and a millennium falcon painted over the bed, which was Star Wars themed as well. The girls room walls were lavender and decorated with moon, stars and astrological maps. The window on the far side of the room had a telescope. The last two rooms he left plain, there were no instructions for those, so he painted them neutral colors. 

The backyard he had redone completely. He sectioned it into two halves, one half was for flower beds the other half was grass with a big dog house and a pathway that lead from the house into the dog house. 

He didn't know why but every time that was in that house he felt like something else was missing. Completion of the project had been achieved, but he still felt as if though it was incomplete. As he slowly made his way to the front door, his cellphone rang. It was Sam. 

"Hey Tom, how are you doing?" 

He shrugged his shoulders as he closed the door. "Okay. And yourself? How are the girls?" 

"Good. Ellen is doing great in school, Jo can't seem to stop growing." Sam sighed as he thought about his family, and Thomas locked the door behind him. "Anyways, I just wanted to check and see if the house is done yet. The clients called saying that they would be home soon and just needed to know if they could go back in or if they should extend their vacation for a bit longer." 

"Oh," Thomas took another look back at the house as he got into his car. "Yeah, it's done. If they are unsatisfied with it just call me and I can change whatever they want. 

"I am pretty sure they will be satisfied with it. Before I left you go, has anyone heard back from Elizabeth?" 

Thomas let a sigh out as he put the key into the ignition."I'll take that as a no," Sam said as Thomas turned his car on, "I haven't either in months, Ruby is a little on edge worried about her."

Thomas didn't want to talk about her any longer. "We all are. I gotta go, take care."

"You too." Thomas hung up his phone and drove away to apartment that overlooked Hyde park.

\----

"We just cant leave her like that." Elizabeth hissed at JJ as they hid behind some bushes. For the past three months they had slowly explored and documented all that was happening that no one else had seen.

"You heard what they said the military is coming this way. We need to see who they have."

He looked back at the pregnant woman laid on the other side of the road. She was exiting her house crying in pain. It was apparent that her water had broken and she was in horrendous pain, and it seemed as if she was home alone. She couldn't have been any older than 19. Something inside JJ snapped and he ran across the way.

"Help me." He shouted at Elizabeth as he grabbed the girls right arm and wrapped it around his neck and helped her up. Elizabeth quickly rushed across and helped hold up the other side of the girl as they carried her back into her home.

"We are here to help. Do you understand me?" JJ asked her as they passed the threshold into the kitchen. The girl nodded in pain, "Yes."

"Okay, I have to look okay to see if the baby is on its way." The girl cried as Elizabeth held her hand, and nodded.

"Do you know what you're doing? We should take her to a hospital."

"She doesn't have that kind of time. The babys crowning." JJ said."Lay her in the floor slowly. And yes. My wife insisted on at home in births with our two daughters, I have an understanding of how to help her. Sit with her between your legs to help support her."

For the next half hour, JJ helped coach the girl through her breathing and pushing, while Elizabeth sat behind her like he told her too. She supported her back on her chest and had the girl between her legs letting her squeeze her hands and telling her that she could do this.

As the baby made it way out, the girl went limp against Elizabeth's body. "JJ!" Elizabeth shouted as she tried the girl to wake up, and the baby screamed for its mother.

He wrapped the baby in a towel, and then someone ran into the house screaming something that Elizabeth didn't understand, but she didn't care. "Wake up!" She screamed as she gently shook the girls head opening her eyelids with her fingers trying to get sone kind of sign that she was still alive.

Men in camouflage came in and yelled with guns pointed at them. She didn't know if she didn't understand them or if the shock had kept her from understanding, but Elizabeth didn't hear them."Wake up," she yelled again with tears in her eyes.

One of the men took the baby from JJ's arm and made him kneel down with his hands on his head. Another came up to Elizabeth demanding that she move away from the girl, but the tears had been running down her face and now she was angry.

Angry for suggesting they help. Angry for not knowing if she was alive. Angry for the world being so fucked up. "Elizabeth stop." JJ comanded. "Just stop."

"Wake up!" She shouted again before she felt a sharp pain in her right shoulder. Dizziness set in as she looked at her shoulder.

A pool of blood began to appear just above her right clavicle and she realized she had been shot. She looked up at the men with mask on their faces and guns pointed at them, and simply said "We were just trying to help." Before her world went black.


	8. London January

Elizabeth's birthday came and went. Christmas came and went. And still nothing. 

As New Years approached Thomas felt as if it was all just a dream. Maybe he'd wake up and it would be that day in January again. Maybe he had hit his head so hard that he hadn't awaken yet. Yeah that's it. He'd wake up sometime. 

As he continued through the motions of everyday life along with everyone else, he couldn't help but remember where he was this time of year, last year. 

In her arms. At home. With her. Wrapped in her arms as her hair sprawled around them and the smell of jasmine intoxicated him. As the softness of her skin would calm him, and her want would engulf him in passion. 

He thought of how different life was, and couldn't help but become sad. She had brought such happiness and freedom into his life, that the way he treated her had appalled even himself. She had a history. Everyone did. And now he felt like an ass for letting her go like that. 

It was the day before New Years when he ran into Benedict while out shopping for groceries. He didn't want to admit it but he had been avoiding him ever since seeing him out with Elizabeth all those months ago. 

"Thomas, how have you been?" Benedict smiled as he hugged Thomas. 

"I've been good, how about yourself?" 

"Good, busy." 

Before anyone could say anything else, a brunette walked up and put some fruit in the grocery cart in front of Benedict, "Found the fruit babe." she smiled as she leaned and kissed his cheek. 

"Thomas this is Jeanette, Jeanette this is Thomas."

"Pleasure to meet you. Benedict and Elizabeth talk about you all the time. Oh, how is Elizabeth?" The brunette turned her attention back to Benedict.

He shook his head, "Don't know love. No one has heard from her in a couple of months ."

Thomas hid his own sorrow, he looked away and pretended to be interested in the cereal boxes on the shelf next to him when her phone rang. "Oh, so sorry I have to take this. Nice meeting you Thomas." She said one more time as she walked towards the entrance of the market.

"She's nice," Thomas simply said as he picked a box and put it in his cart. "Yeah" Benedict smiled, "Liz set us up around the end of February and I just haven't been able to get this girl out my head. She's sweet, nice, just great. I'm completely smitten."

"Wait," Thomas said confused, "Elizabeth set you both up? I thought you two were dating." 

Benedict laughed, "Oh heavens no. I love her, but not like that. She's more like a little sister than a love interest. We're too different, we enjoy each others company, but that's all. Where did you even get that idea from?" 

Thomas couldn't believe it, he had been an ass, and so he divulged. "I thought I saw you all on a double date." 

Benedict let another laugh out. "We were all at dinner because we had decorated little Genevieve room and we left the house to keep from inhaling the paint fumes. We never dated."

Now he felt like a proper ass.

"Well, it was nice to see you again, but I have to get going. Please let me know if you hear word about her okay."

Thomas simply nodded as his friend took his leave. So she really wasn't dating anyone. Jaime had tried telling him that before but he was just too stubborn to listen.

As he paid the cashier for his groceries, he promised himself that as soon as she got back home, he would tell her that he still loved her. That he was sorry. But he still had to wait.

January was half way done with when a yell from Jaime caused him to rush out of his office. At her desk she was holding onto someone, it was Elizabeth. 

She seemed different her clothes was new but baggy on he, she was thinner, hair was much longer, and her skin was tanner. "I hate you!" Jaime cried as she held her tighter. 

"I know you do." Elizabeth laughed "I missed you too." 

Jaime began to cry in her arms, and Thomas took the scene in as Elizabeth buried her face into Jaime's neck and cried herself. 

He had to slightly pinch himself to see if he was asleep. He tugged on the skin of his wrist, and it hurt. He indeed was awake, and Elizabeth was indeed back. But there was a pit at the bottom of his stomach telling him something was not right. 

But he didn't care, she was back. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for liking and reading my story. It means the absolute world to me!  
> Please continue to read and let me know what you do or do not like about my story.  
> <3 S.B.T

It had been two weeks since Elizabeth had returned and no one had seen her. Jaime had invited her over to her home multiple times and each time she refused. When she would show up to the office for lunch with Jaime she seemed distant and far away. 

Thomas noticed, Jaime ignored it. Her best friend was back, that was all that mattered, but to Thomas it felt like Elizabeth was replaced with someone else. A ghost. A shell of who she used to be. 

As February ended Jaime began to notice them too and voiced her concern to Thomas one day over coffee.

"She refuses to see Genevieve or even talk about her. I tried to show her some pictures of her now, of how much she has grown, but she just shoved them back at me." She hid her hurt as she sipped on her mug. 

"Did she say why?" Thomas said as he stirred in some sugar into his tea. 

Jaime shook her head as tears began to surface on the rim of her eyes. "No. Just says that she doesn't care. she refuses to stay at our house as well." 

"I'm sure she's just trying to adjust to life here back at home." Thomas lied as he sipped on his tea as he reassured Jaime. But he made a mental note to talk to Sam and see if he knew anything about what was going on with Elizabeth. 

Thomas had gotten in his car and was about to head home when he decided to call Sam. "Hey Sam." 

"Hey Tom! how are you doing?" 

"Good good," he heard a bunch of noise in the background. "I'm sorry did I catch you at a bad time?" 

"NO, no, the girls are excited everyone is packing, they can't wait to go back and see Elizabeth." 

"About that." 

"What's happened?" Sam asked worriedly. 

Quickly he divulged the facts that he had gathered through Jaime, and silence met him on the other end. If it wasn't for the girls making noise in the background he would have though Sam had hanged up. 

"Sam?" 

"Yeah, sorry I am still here. It's just it sounds very familiar but I would rather not say. I'd rather wait until I get there to see what's going on okay." 

"Sure. But real quick Sam, I just want to check in on her. Do you know where she lives?" 

Silence again. 

"Sam?"

"Well, you already know where." 

"What do you mean?" 

"That house that I asked your help on. That's hers." 

\----

Thomas drove the whole way contemplating everything. So did that mean she already had got married and made the house so they can start a family right away? Was she pregnant when she left? 

As he took a turn onto the street, a yellow ambulance blocked his way. Panic took over. He got out of his car and ran up to the front door. 

"Please move out of the way." one of the medical respondents demanded as they began to wheel out a gurney, and he swiftly stepped to the side.

As the gurney continued to wheel out he saw it was Elizabeth strapped to the  gurney, her eyes were closed and an oxygen mask was already placedon her face. 

"Wait!" a lump in Thomas throat formed and prevented him from speaking clearly. "What, where are you. Is she alright." 

As they lifted her in and strapped her safely in, a man walked out the front door. He himself had been crying as well. "They're taking her to St. Mary's." 

"Who are you?" Thomas asked defensively. 

"Name's JJ. Elizabeth and I were working on the same story. I was in the neighborhood and decided to pay her a visit. Found her like that. Can I catch a ride with you to the hospital, I want to make sure she'll be okay." 

Thomas simply nodded as he showed the man the way to his car and the ambulance sped off, and they sped after it.

Swerving through traffic Thomas asked him, "What happened to Elizabeth? Ever since she got back she's been distant and cold." 

JJ shrugged, "I honestly don't know." 

Thomas shot him a side way look, "Please don't lie to me." 

"We were working on a story in the Ukraine, and I promised her I'd keep her safe. And I didn't and I have no idea what happened. Okay. That's all I can say. Now please, keep your eyes on the road before we end up in an ambulance as well." 

Tears began to blur his vision, but Thomas wiped them quickly away. Right now he had to make sure she was okay. This was no times for tears. 


	10. Hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for continuing to read. Please do continue to let me know what you do or do not enjoy about my story. I typed this chapter up so fast because it actually came to me in a dream. So hopefully you like it. And again thanks for the support.  
> <3 S.B.T

They waited for three hours together outside a room, Thomas had no idea what had happened or what condition she was in. All he knew was that she was in a hospital and something had happened to make her the way she was recently.

The silence was killing him he had to know. He was about to ask JJ more information about what had happened, when a nurse came over and let them know they could see her now.

JJ was the first one in and he took a seat on the bed next to her left hand as he took it into his. She was asleep.

As Thomas walked in his heart broke. The tubes that were placed into here made this more real than he dared this to be. Tears began to threaten their way out as he watched the woman he loved in such a frail state.

"What happened?" Thomas demanded through clenched teeth.

"I don't know, when I got there she was just passed out on the floor, the paramedics said it looked like malnourishment, maybe starvation but they said the-"

"Not now. Then." Thomas demanded. "What happened over there that made her this way."

JJ took a deep breathe in as he placed her hand back on the bed, and reached over to sweep some hair out of her face.

"Well, someone needs to know. I have to go back home, soon. It's best someone else knows." He got up and sat near the windowsill. Thomas stood frozen at the doorway.

"We left the designated safe zone for reporters to look for the story that would win us some recognition. We got it. But before we did, we were taken hostage for two months." JJ let a sigh out as he looked up at Thomas.

Something inside him found this answer unacceptable. He was about to ask him for more information when Elizabeth began to toss in her sleep. "No." she muttered as she began to swat her hands in the air, her elevated heart rate began to elevate. "No! Leave him!" she yelled.

A nurse ran in and began to administer something into her IV line that began to calm her down. The nurse then turned to JJ and simply said, "You and your friend will need to leave the room now. Let her rest."

Thomas couldn't help but want to fight, but seeing as JJ just shook his head and complied, his feet followed after him.

"Lets go somewhere a little more private." he said as he walked down the hallway. Once he found a place with not too many people around listening he continued.

"We came across some girl who was going into labor. My original plan was to just help her back into her house and let someone help her. But she was too far along. We helped her give birth, but she died. That's when I don't know who they were, whether they were military or not, it didn't matter, they took us. They shot her in the shoulder, and shot me in the back. But they kept us prisoners for two months. They tortured me thinking that we were some kind of spies. They kept asking me why I was with an American. I kept trying to tell them that we were just reporters. But I never got to see her, they kept us separated. By the time someone got word that we were taken and people searched for us, we were both on the brink of death by starvation. But I didn't know how hard she had it until one of the other reporters told me what they saw."

JJ looked out into the distance of if re watching everything happen all over again. Thomas simply whispered, "What did they see."

"The body of the girl. They kept it with Elizabeth. She refuses to talk about what happened to her. But I'm pretty sure they messed her up. The doctors checked her out, and she was okay in the beginning.  Just some malnutrition, and minor infections from carelessness for our wounds. But nothing serious. But as time went on so did her nightmares, and change in being. She'd stay up all night to keep from sleeping, she refused to eat, she would refuse to let people touch her. That's when they told me that she was suffering from PTSD."

Thomas took a sharp breath in.

"Whatever happened in there, she needs someone to talk to about, but she refuses to. It's starting to get worse, because up to a month ago she was still eating, but now she isn't."

Thomas let his back fall against the wall behind him. He didn't know how to process the information that was just fed to him. He didn't even notice when JJ said goodbye and took his leave.

Somehow he found his feet making their way back to her room, as if he had floated there. Tears began to stream down his cheek as he looked at her in the bed, asleep. Realizing that if he had just kept her from going. If he had told her he loved her all those months ago. Maybe she wouldn't be there in that bed. Maybe they'd be back in the flat laughing as they cooked dinner together. Maybe they would have been a family by now.

He quickly shook the sadness away. She needs you now, he told himself as he walked over and sat in the chair next to her bed. She need you to be strong for her. Be strong for her now.

Taking her hand into his, he sat there throughout the night, making sure that when she would awake she would know that he would be there for her.


	11. Back Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all!! <3 I love each and everyone of you for continuing to read this story, even though I lack the capacity to update it as periodically as I should. Please continues to let me know what you do or do not like  
> <3 S.B.T
> 
>  

Elizabeth sat up in bed with a panic in her belly and a tightness in her chest. She was awaken by the sound of a whistling tea kettle. Surveying the room she say the paper on the bed side table. 

_You are safe. You are home._

It wasn’t her writing, but it calmed her. Taking a second look around she realized that this was not a dream, she was home. The nightmare she just had was just that. A nightmare that she was reliving again. Rain began to patter against her window, and despite the cold weather, sweat covered her face and chest. Muttering to herself she got out of bed and changed to something dry. 

Not bothering with shoes or socks, she made her way to the kitchen, knowing that Thomas would be there preparing some tea. ”Good morning.” she muttered as she sat at the table. 

It had been two months since her hospital visit and since Thomas moved into her guest room to keep an eye on her. Jaime has suggested that she moved in to help, but seeing as she had trouble being around children, she agreed to let Thomas move in. ”Good afternoon actually.” he said as he set a cup in front of her and a tray full of Jammie Dodgers in the center of the table. This revelation overtook her, her eyes widened as she stared out of the kitchen window at the rain. 

"It’s still Thursday right?" 

Thomas cleared his throat as he reached for a dodger. “Actually, its Friday.” 

It had been happening more often than she cared to believe. She lost time again. She would go to sleep and not wake up for days, after not being able to sleep more. Quickly, she sat up as if though it didn’t bother her and sipped on her tea. "Hows work?” She asked as she reached for a dodger trying to maintain some normalcy about the situation.

His eyes widen as he looked over at her from over his tea, it was the first time she had tried to make small talk since moving in. “Good, good. Busy as always.”

"Hows Emma?"

"Good. I run into her, here and there, but we broke up months ago."

"I’m sorry." Elizabeth said never looking at him but rather at the rain pattering against the window.

"It’s okay we just realized they we worked better as friends than as a couple."

"Shame. I liked her." Elizabeth looked down at her tea and then stood up. "I feel tired, i think I’m just going to lie down." Thomas stood up and was about to reach out to help her keep her balance, when she stepped to the side. "It’s okay, I can do it." She gave him a weak reassuring smile. As she walked out of the kitchen, she felt too tired to go up the stairs, and instead made her way to the drawing room which Thomas had converted into a library. 

Smiling she let her fingers run down the row of books, feeling their different cover materials and spines against the tips of her finger. The glass doors that led to the garden were blurry with rain and she could faintly make out the beginning of the sunflowers as they sprouted from the ground up. With joy she pulled out the first book her finger landed on and sat on one of the chairs. She curled her legs underneath her and cracked open to page one, but her hands were weak. She couldn’t hold it for longer a minute and felt tired immediately after starting the third page.

Thomas watched from the hallway not sure whether to go over or not when she spoke. “Can you stop staring and just come read to me.” She sounded rather annoyed but Tom couldn't help but smile.

"What do we have here?" He asked as he gently took it from her fingers.

"Tales of my melancholy whores. Its by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, one of my dads favorite," she let a slight smile surface. Getting comfortable in the chair across from her, he started to read, as she stared out the glass doors mouthing along the words Thomas was about to say.

As he turned to page ten, Elizabeth sat up and announced that she suddenly felt hungry. Thomas scramble as he never ran before the kitchen to grab anything he could to bring out back to her. The doctors had stressed how important it was for him to made sure she ate. He came back with a tray littered with options and a cup of tea which he gently placed on her lap.

As he continued to reading she simply overlooked her options. Halfway through the book, she continued to stare out the glass doors, but had consumed half of everything on the tray. By the time he read the last page she had already set the tray on the floor beside her and had fallen asleep.

He couldn't help but smile again. Taking his sweater off he gently placed it on her to keep her warm, and lightly presses a kiss to her forehead. Carefully lifting the tray up as to keep from making noise Thomas tipped toed out of the library and decided to hold back from washing the dishes again. To avoid waking her up.

When clatter awoke her she was hysterical. Once time Thomas had dropped the tray and the dished crashed to the floor, Elizabeth shouted and ran up and down the halls as if trying to find a way out of the hell that was her mind, reliving her experiences. It had took him an hour to calm her down. But moments like that just let him know that her condition was real. He was here in her home for a reason. 

He was making his way to his room when the door bell rang. Quickly he ran to answer it to make sure that it wouldn't wake her from her slumber. Standing there in the rain was JJ, “Come in, she sleeping.” Thomas merely said as he stood to the side to let him in. 

"Thank you." JJ said as he removed his wet jacket and hung it on a hook and removed his shoes at the door. Over the last couple of weeks the two men had become close. "How is she doing?" 

"She ate today." 

JJ nodded with a smile on his face, “That’s some improvement.” 

"Yeah." Thomas nodded his head as he followed him into the living room. "Would you like a cuppa? I just had the kettle on." 

JJ nodded his head, “Please.” 

The two friends sat on the couch sipping on tea and eating cookies as they exchanged stories, he about his wife and daughters, Thomas about Elizabeth and work. After an hour of catching up Thomas finally asked the question that had been burning in his mind.  

"Jay, why are their children rooms here? Did she ever tell you?" 

JJ set his cup down on the table, “Actually that’s why I came. I almost forgot,” he straightened up and looked at Thomas with a seriousness. “She had told me that as soon as she got back that she was planning on adopting a child. Something about making all the wrong decisions before, and that she finally realized she didn't need to be married to have one. But anyways, while we were there,” he never liked to use the name of that place anymore. Especially in this home. “We were each others emergency contact, and I guess she never changed it. My wife said the other day someone left a message. It was the adoption agency, they said that the paper work has finally gone through. When she’s ready she can go and they will get everything in order for her.” 

Thomas let himself sink back at the information. She would be able to be a mom. But his heart began to break realizing the state that she was in, being a mom was the farthest from her mind. After some discussion JJ left. 

Standing in the doorway of the library he watched her sleeping on the couch. She would occasionally twitch, and move in her sleep, but besides that she looked peaceful. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something shine. Walking over to the bookcase, on a shelf he saw something sparkle with glitter. It was a handmade scrapbook Jaime had been working on. Thumbing through it he saw pictures of Elizabeth’s birthday, in her Tinkerbell costume. He couldn’t help but smile, he remembered that night clearly in his head. The next page was Jaime’s birthday, the day she and Simon had become engaged. 

The next was pictures which was surely after Genevieve was born. Elizabeth was belly down on the floor with the little infant as if trying to teach her to crawl, and another one of them asleep on a bed together. 

The next page was littered with photographs of her with Sam and his daughters. 

He looked up at Elizabeth, and with determination, he went back to his room. He was going to help her through this. She would become the mother she always wanted to be. At his desk he opened his laptop and began to look up everything he could about PTSD, and even joined a couple of support groups. 

He was here for better or worse.  She was always helping him reach his dreams, now he was going to help her with hers.


	12. Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I HAVE SLACKED I AM SORRY! I reached a major road block in this story. I had fought internally for a long time, I thought I should just end it as it has, with an open ending. But I didn't believe that was fair, this story deserves a real end, and I shall continue!! 
> 
> <3 S.B.T 
> 
> Please continue to let me know what you do or do not like, I appreciate you all for continuing to read my story  
> <333
> 
>  

Elizabeth held a mug close to her and enclosed in her hands as if though trying to protect it as she sat on the couch she was instructed to do so on. "I wish we were meeting again under better circumstances." The therapist said, with a thick heavy Russian accent, Elizabeth simply nodded. She took in his features. 

The frown line which she remembered only as a temporary fixture upon his forehead, were now permanent and deep, as were the smile lines around his lips. His once black night hair, was now peppered like snow fall, and began to cover the rugged skin on his chin and upper lip. 

He sat on a chair across from her, "I shall help you again, as I did once with your parents. Sam, called me and simply said you needed help. Not the why. But as you know, that is never important to me. Not now." 

Elizabeth looked out to the glass door at the garden, it had been a while since any one had brought up her parents. A pang of sadness filled her heart. 

"But what I do need to know how you finally realized that you needed help. So Lizzie," he said with such kindness that she remembered in her teen years. "How did you finally decide that you needed help." 

Taking a deep breath she looked back at him and began.

-A MONTH AGO-

Thomas awoke with the same dream running rapid through his mind. The same dream that haunted him for weeks. Elizabeth would come running into his room wearing the revealing shirt and tight pants from when they were in New York. "Wake up babe!" she would say as she shook him under the sheets. "Get up hurry up! We don't have time." she says with urgency as she pulls back the sheets off of him and reveals that he is fully dressed in a pair of jeans and a white tee. 

"Okay, I'm up!" he would say as he jumped out of bed and let her drag him out into the hallway, but instead of the house they were out in Hyde Park. And she was no longer wearing her revealing outfit but instead the green lace dress that he had become so familiar with. 

Despite the clear sky and the sun, panic would set in Thomas, "What's going on?" he would demand as, against his judgement, he continues to run with her. As they reach the street, it's night time, and they are standing in front of his old office building, and she's wearing the curve hugging red dress she wore the day he met her. 

"Elizabeth." he would say with panic overtaking every fiber of his being. "What's going on?" 

She would kiss him with a sad smile before saying "I'm fading away." And disappearing. 

He sat on the edge of his bed for a couple of minutes with his head in his hands. Though it was just a dream, he felt like that everyday. As much as he hated to admit it, the woman he met over a year ago no longer shared the same roof as him. 

Slowly, he got ready for work. As he descended the stairs he found Elizabeth sitting in the library already with books around her on the floor. She was rearranging them, again. 

But he couldn't help but smile. Her hair longer now, reaching the middle of her back which she always kept in a braid, but stands would fall out and into her eyes from time to time. With their nightly readings she began to gain some slight weight, she wasn't back at the fullness that he remembered her for, but she always wasn't as frail as the day he brought her home. 

He walked into the kitchen and began to make a quick small breakfast for them. As he finished up frying some eggs he couldn't help by play the radio, the silence the echoed in the house would sometimes drive him mad. When he finally found a station that he could enjoy Elizabeth had taken her usual place at the table. 

She had two books with her, one in either hand, and Thomas knew she was trying to figure out which one they would be reading that night. As he placed a plate in front of her, he asked "Which two are you thinking about starting this time?" 

Without saying a word, she held them up for him to read the covers as he sat across from her. "Tess of the d'urbervilles, and the two gentlemen of Verona. Both good choices." he said as he began to eat. "One is a comedy one is sort of tragic. Of course I'm very bias in this decision and I myself would chose the two gentlemen of Verona. But whatever you want." 

She began to eat as she studied the books closely. After a moment she stacked the two gentlemen of Verona on top of Tess of the d'urbervilles, her universal sign of having made a choice, and he simply smiled back. That was their weekly conversation. 

As she took one forkful of eggs in, the radio started playing Come Fly With Me by Frank Sinatra. Her fork fell from her hands as she turned to her right and stared at the radio that sat on the kitchen windowsill. 

Thomas knew that it made her think about her parents. Just hearing Frank's voice made him remember the video he watched back in New York of a young Elizabeth dancing around her parents house with her parents to Ain't It a Kick In The Head, and when she was singing this the night before she left at Jaime's birthday party. 

She hung her head down and pushed her chair away from the table, when something inside Thomas just clicked, he quickly took two strides over to Elizabeth and quickly swooped her up on her feet and began to sing along as he danced her across the kitchen floor. 

"Come fly with me, Lets fly fly away." Elizabeth couldn't help but smile as Thomas spun her round, and put her hand in his and let him guide her across the kitchen floor. "Pack up let's fly away!" he sang as he dipped her down as she giggled like mad. As he stayed in that position he couldn't help but fall in love with the smile on her face, that one that he had grown accustomed to and the hazel eyes that he longed to look into while she was gone. And before his brain could tell him not to, he leaned in and kissed her. 

He was fully prepared to be pushed away, but was shocked when she instead of using her arms to push him away, wrapped them around his neck and kissed him back. Using the palm of his hands to support her back, he began to slowly lift her back up onto her feet, without breaking the kiss. He noted that she would not close her eyes as they did. When she was on her feet, her hands grabbed a fistful of his hair, and deepened the passion of their kiss. 

A moan escaped his throat as he began to take a step towards her and pin her between him and the wall. Soon they were both gasping for air. He pressed his body against her, the warmth that radiated off her only made his wanting grow. Memories flooded through him as his hands began to roam around her body. 

Her hands dug into his hair as she pulled him against her harder. He felt himself began to get hard, wanting her body on top of his already. As his hands slipped up her shirt, she suddenly began to push against him. 

"Get off!" she yelled as she pushed against him with her eyes closed, "Please! I didn't do anything wrong!" Thomas quickly took a step back as she put her back against the wall and slid down tucking her legs underneath her and her arms around her head. "Please we didn't do anything wrong." 

His heart broke as he realized one of the horrors she had suffered, and why she was trying to keep her eyes closed this entire time. Slowly, he came down to his knees and reached out carefully before gently saying, "You are home Elizabeth. You are safe." 

She sobbed into her hands as slowly began to raise her head out of her hands, with her eyes still closed. He softly put his hand on top one of hers. "You are home. You are safe."

She slowly opened her eyes and surveyed the kitchen and Thomas in front of her. When realizing that she was in her home, she began to cry even harder. 

"Here," he whispered, "Let me help you." He reaches out but before his hands reached her she jerked back in a panic.

"No! You're not real." she muttered at him as  she began to rock back and forth on her heels. 

"Elizabeth," he whispered again as he let his hand gently land on hers. "I am real. You are home. You are safe." 

Sobbing she clasped her hands around his hand and pulled it against her cheek. Once believing that he was real, she slid across the kitchen floor space left between them and wrapped her arms around his neck as she cried into his chest. 

An hour later she had fallen asleep and Thomas had carried her to the living room couch. As he gently laid her down she stir awake, and grabbed his hand. "Please don't leave me." 

He knelt down and looked into her eyes, "Elizabeth, we need to talk." 

\--

"Get out! This is my house!" Elizabeth screamed as she threw  anything she could get her hands on at Thomas. 

He had a heart to heart conversation about getting her therapy for her PTSD, and  it triggered her anger. "Please calm down," he pleaded as he dodged flying objects. Their conversation had not gone to plan. 

"I don't need help! I am fine! Leave my fucking house." 

Without another word, he left. She needed space. 

When he left, her rampage didn't end. She had pent up anger, fear and shame that was bubbled up inside and being faced with it made it burst. She turned everything upside down, broke what could be broken, and tried harder to break what didn't. 

Her feet walked over shards of glass, but did not feel it, and continued to storm about the house. 

She reached the second floor, as she had to pass Thomas's room to reach hers, she decided to make a detour in her anger. 

As she flipped the mattress off the bed, his laptop fell off and smashed open onto the floor. She picked it up to finish smashing it to pieces, but as she did she noticed on the screen open emails between Thomas and some of her friends. 

She sat on the floor and began to scroll through them. Some were from Sam, some from Jaime. 

She opened the most recent one from Sam, and in it she read how he compared her to his brother Dean. He had fought in Iraq and came back with PTSD. It was the reason that their marriage failed. Sam had dedicated his life to taking care of his brother, and caused stress in the house. 

The most recent email was a week ago where Sam said he would help Thomas get the phone number of therapist that helped her through parents death. Anger once again pumped through her veins. How dare they all talk about her behind her back like she was some invalid.

She was going to show them all she was going to storm the office and demand them all to show her the respect that she had always given them. 

Walking out of the room she realized that she was not wearing anything on her feet and needed to get some socks and shoes. It was then that she noticed  the blood trail that she had left on the floor through out the house. But it did not hinder her rage, she went into her room and looked for shoes to put on. 

Only to find that the shoes she had did not fit. Her feet had become thinner and did not fill her feet at all. How long had it been since she worn shoes that she never noticed this before?

No matter. She had something to do. She stumbled through the house in the shoes that no longer fit her. Her hand was on the front door handle when she suddenly froze. 

Something inside her click and she was no longer angry but instead afraid. She did not want to go outside the house. She hadn't left the house since she got there, except to go in the garden, and that was all she had ever done. She took a deep breath, she had to prove them wrong. She had to prove them wrong. 

Taking a  deep breath in she opened the the door. Sunlight blinded her, it really had been a long time since she had been out of the house. 

Slowly she walked to the corner of the block and smiled to herself. She was okay, no one could tell her otherwise. As she looked both ways, she began to cross the street, when a car suddenly backfired. 

\--

"What happened next?" he continued to probe Elizabeth further. 

She had not drunk any of her tea at all and not noticed that her legs were numb underneath her. 

"I found my way back home." she simply answered. 

He stopped writing and looked at her with a seriousness that only someone that had known her knew. He knew that she was lying, and she knew that he knew. Sucking in a deep breath through her teeth, she was about to answer when Thomas knocked on the door. "Elizabeth?"

"Come in." her therapist replied.

Thomas opened the door with a puzzled look on his face, he had just arrived home and the doors had never been closed before. He was making sure the worst imaginable thing had not happened. 

"Vasiley Fet." the man stood and offered his hand to Thomas, he was not about to shake it when the man said, "Therapist." 

"Thomas." he said as he shook his hand. "Friend." 

Elizabeth just stared at the mug in her hands, she felt shamed. And Vasiley knew it, he turned around with his hand still in Thomas's.  "Elizabeth please do not feel like because someone knows that you are seeing a therapist makes you feel worthless or like something is wrong. There is not. We're here to make you feel better, and here to help you overcome whatever it is, together okay." 

She nodded, not looking up. Thomas took his cue, "I'll go make some dinner. It was wonderful meeting you."  and closed the door behind him.

Vasiley sat on the couch and without missing a beat, began where they left off. "How did you make your way home?" 

She whispered, "Thomas found me. "

"Found you where." 

Her chest tightened, she hated to think about that day, let alone have to talk about it. And felt as if though she was about to have a panic attack.

"On the corner." 

Vasiley didn't say anything more, he remained silent as he patiently waited for her to finish. 

\---

The car backfired and caused her to fall to the floor. The loudness of it had caused a flash back, she thought it was gunfire, and she was right back in the Ukraine. 

Stuck in a dark room with no window. Gunfire going on in the back. The body. Oh god the body right next to her. She curled up on the concrete and began to cry. 

She had no idea how long she had laid there as people honked and yelled for her to get out of the middle of the street. All she remembered was the two voices, Sam and Thomas, as one of them picked them up and took her back home as the other talked and calmed her down. 

They left her alone in her room as they cleaned the house and she finally fell asleep. 

\---

As she finished and tears began to stream her face, Vasiley offered her a tissue. They sat there and continued to talk for awhile when the smell of dinner began to intrude into the room.

He began to conclude their visit not wanting to keep Thomas waiting as well after making dinner for them.  As he opened the door and let Elizabeth lead him to the dining room, he grabbed a hold of her elbow gently and simply said. "Elizabeth, you'll make it out of this better and faster than you did last time. This time you are surrounded by people who are close and love you. Do not push them away." 


	13. Slow Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who has followed my story from the beginning, or just an hour ago, I want to thank you. This story took a short break because these characters ran away from me, and weren't talking for a while.  
> The story is coming to a close soon, and just wanted to once again thank you all so much  
> <3 S.B.T

Slowly, over the next couple of months, Thomas began to notice a difference in Elizabeth. She had began cooking dinner, and even sang along with the radio when heard something she liked. During some of these good  times, she would be awake before him, and had breakfast ready. She would sit, eat and hold a conversation with him, normally, like before.

She was still unable to leave the house without being frightened by the noises. But it was the small victories around the house, and changed in her mood that he enjoyed. Jaime had even bought Genevieve at least once a month, for dinner, and for Elizabeth to spend time with her goddaughter. In the beginning, she would cower on the opposite side of the couch from where Genevieve was, but after a while, she began to get closer to her. Touch her, hold her, talk to her, and eventually she began to crawl and walk with her as they used to. Whispering to her as if sharing the secrets of the universe.

She slowly was regaining the vivacity that he had so loved and admired about her. But Thomas kept his distance, and began to contemplate moving out. He felt like he was no longer needed, and with work picking up, staying at the flat would be better as it was closer to the office than the house. But deep down inside, he didn’t care, he wanted to stay. He wanted to be with her. But he kept it inside. He didn’t want to push her away, just as she was making progress.

As Genevieve turned two years old, he decided to tell her what JJ told him.How the adoption agency called and were ready to start the process when she was.

She sat in silence for a while, and then she just smiled. He wanted to ask how she was feeling, what she was thinking, but he didn’t. “Thank you Thomas.” she simply said as she got up and walked to the front door. Thomas followed closely behind her, and watched her as she put a coat on. “Where are you going?”

She pulled her long hair out of the back of the coat, and stuffed hands into the pockets. “If it would be quite alright, I thought maybe you could take me for a walk. Nothing big, of course, maybe just around the block?”

Thomas smiled as he nodded his head. “Of course.” He put his coat on and opened the front door. He didn’t even notice that Elizabeth was not behind him until he reached the sidewalk.

Turning around, he saw her frozen at the front door, looking down the street at the cars, the buildings, squinting against the sky.

A  sad smile came to his lips as he walked back and he held his hand out for her. She squinted again before looking down, taking a deep breath and taking his hand.

They walked slowly and made the trek that would normally take five minutes,  into an hour long outing. Every once in a while she would stop and squeeze his hand when a noise would startle her. But she didn't turn back. She kept on. To distract her, he made jokes, and made her laugh, she would make notes about what locations seemed great for a photo shoot and talked about maybe starting to work again. 

As she began to talk about regaining more normality into her life, he had to ask. “So are you going to be adopting?”

Elizabeth smiled up at him. “Yes. But not anytime soon. I may be in a better place than I was months ago, but I still have a way to go.”

Thomas smiled and for the rest of the walk home they talked about work, and what her plans were. He couldn’t help but for the first time in a long time, feel that Elizabeth was finally coming back slowly. Sure, she wasn’t coming back to him, but she was coming back. 


	14. Rufio

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was finally October, and the feeling in the air was somehow changing for everyone. Elizabeth was back and slowly recovering. Thomas began to slowly move his things out of her guest room seeing that she was doing better.Vasily had lowered her medications gradually and she was almost completely off of it. The therapist also let Thomas know that he did not agree with his moving out. He believed that Thomas provided her some stability that she needed in such a tough time.  Thomas thought about it for a long time, and finally decided to get her an early birthday gift.

\--

Elizabeth was in the garden deweeding some patches of grass, when she heard scratching against the glass doors that led into the library. She sat up and looked back to see a puppy scratching at the glass. “Oh god,” she said quickly running to the glass door and opening it, only to have tiny dog begin to nip at her ankles as she picked it up. “Are you lost? How did you get in my house?” But she quickly began to smile as it began to lick her face. She felt a collar its neck as she pet it, and held him up as a baby in her arms to see it.

“What?” she asked confused as she read the tag. The dog’s name was Rufio, and the phone number to contact if he was lost was hers. “Rufio?” The puppy barked back with its tongue wagging out.

“Yes. His name is Rufio.” Thomas said as he walked out into the garden with his hands in his pockets. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “That’s unless you would want to name him something else, or I can take him back-”

Elizabeth shook her head and began to laugh. “No. No.” She sniffled her tears up, “He’s perfect. Thank you.”

Thomas smiled, and Elizabeth noticed how much he had changed. He had let his hair grow out, and now had let his beard grow out as well. He looked slightly tired from his late nights at work, and from taking care of her, but overall healthy. They had changed so much since that day in his old office. For the next couple of hours they had fun chasing the two month old pup around the house, as they set up where he would sleep, what to eat and what would be the best way to potty train him.

They were sitting at the kitchen table drinking some tea, when they heard Rufio yelp. They quickly ran towards the library, and Elizabeth began to beat herself up internally she forgot to close the door to the garden and the pup had entangled himself in some weeds.

“Oh look at you.” Elizabeth said as Thomas set the pup from the weeds. “You’re filthy. I guess now is good as any time for your first bath.”

Thomas smiled and followed the two upstairs to the bathroom. Elizabeth turned on the water, filling the tub with warm water and handed Thomas Rufio. “Can you please hold him while I look for a spare towel.” He simply nodded as he took the bundle into his hands and she stepped out into the hallway to rumage through the hallway closet. Thomas smiled at the pup and whispered “You did wonderful. She loves you.” The pup just began to playfully chew on the man’s hands. “Hey now.” he said playfully as he shook his fingers from Rufio’s jaws.

Elizabeth walked back in with a spare towel, and knelt down at one side of the bathtub. “Alright,” she said testing the water with her hand making sure that it wasn’t too hot or too cold, “Rufio, time for your first bath.” As Thomas knelt on the other side of the bathtub, Rufio began to squirm away.

“Hey. Hey. Hey!” Thomas said as he tried to get a better hold on Rufio again, but the pup had too much energy and momentum and soon began to dart around the bathroom floor.

“Rufio!” Elizabeth said as scrambled towards the door bathroom and closed it, as she tried to capture the rambunctious pup.

“It’s okay, I’ll get him.” Thomas said as he got up and began to chase the pup. “It’s my fault he’s loose.”

Elizabeth chuckled as she nodded, she made sure the lid was down on the toilet before sitting down, and watching Thomas chase after the pup. The sounds of Thomas trying to coax to the puppy back, and the puppy's nails clicking on the tile floor, made her laugh out loud as she watched the sight.

Thomas finally was able to hold the dog, but lost his balance as he did, and into the tub he went with the dog. “Oh my god!” Elizabeth said as she knelt near the tub again. “Are you okay?” She asked Thomas, who was now sitting soaking wet in the tub with the pup in his arms.

He chuckled in response. “Yes.” They both looked over at each other before bursting out laughing. Thomas then proceeded to begin scrubbing the dog, as she sat on the floor next to the tub watching him laugh as he helped.

She couldn’t help but think about how he’s stayed with her during this time of her life. She snapped herself out of her thoughts as Thomas handed her Rufio, clean from the garden dirt. Wrapping the pup in the a towel she looked at Thomas, soaked from head to toe, he threw his hands up in the air laughing again, “Could you give me a hand out of here Liz.”

Liz. He called her Liz. And it wasn’t bitter or venomous this time. It was genuine and dare she say full of love. She quickly gave Rufio a quick little dry off, and released the pup as she turned her attention to Thomas and held her hand out for him to take. She couldn’t help but notice how his white t shirt became see through and stuck to his body as he stepped out of the tub. When was the last time she had some human contact with anyone? When she noticed that she was staring at his chest, she quickly cleared her throat and excused herself. “I should go get started on dinner.”

After Thomas dried up  and changed, he sat at his desk finishing up some work. When he went into the kitchen, he saw that Elizabeth had made a tomato bisque and soda bread. It smelt and tasted delicious, and a few feet away the sound of Rufio crunching on his food filled the silence.

“Thanks again.” Elizabeth said breaking the silence.

“For what?” Thomas asked slightly perplexed as he finished his soup.

“For Rufio. For being here for me. You don’t have to, but you do, so thank you.”

Thomas just simply nodded and swallowed before he said the following. “Don’t be silly. If Jaime wasn’t busy with her daughter, she’d be here too. We love and care for you, no need to thank us.”

“Still.” she said as she took the dishes to the sink. “Thank you.”

“Elizabeth, I am actually going to be moving out soon.” He blurted.

“Oh,” she said as she froze washing the dishes. After a pause she continued and said, “I think it’s a great idea actually.”

He felt a pit in his stomach and his heart crushed, maybe she just wanted him out. “Oh.” he said flatly.

Noticing his tone of voice, and the fact that she might have hurt his feelings, she quickly turned around and dried her hands on the end of her shirt, “I didn’t mean it in a mean way, it’s just that I realized I have become rather dependent on you, and I’d like a chance to try this on my own. I feel rather selfish having you take care of me all the time, it’s time you live your life too.”

Thomas nodded now, rather understanding. “Well, like I said, I enjoy taking care of you.”

Elizabeth laughed, “God, you British dudes and your politeness.” She turned around and continued to wash the dishes, and Thomas couldn't help but laugh himself.

He couldn't help by think that she was right, and the fact that she wanted to try to be independent just cemented his decision. By the end of the week, Thomas had moved out.    


	15. Wedding and A Toddler

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for continuing to read my story.   
> Thank you to WasItADream for continuing to support this story, even though I fell off there for a minute. I actually got some inspiration from you for this chapter =) 
> 
>  
> 
> <3 S.B.T.

“I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” the priest said, as Jamie all but flung herself into Simons open arms and kissed him.

Everyone stood up and cheered, Elizabeth stood up with Genevieve in her arms, the toddler had fallen asleep in her godmothers arms half way through the ceremony, as the newly wed couple made their way out of the church. As everyone made their way out, Elizabeth straggled behind, she sat in the pew waiting for the people to leave because the weight of Genevieve began to make her arms tremble.

She let her head fall back, she couldn’t lie, she was also dead tired. Having returned to work, helping Jamie plan her wedding, and just working on her overall mental and physical well being, was hard  work, but work that made her happy. Her eyes were beginning to close, when she heard a familiar voice next to her whisper. “Would you like me to take her for a little while?”

Without opening her eyes she nodded as a smile spread across her lips. “Yes please.” she whispered back. In a moment she felt his long fingers against her hands as he hooked his hands around the sleeping toddler, and then literally lifted a  weight off of her. “Oh,” she let a sigh out as she let her arms down at her side like limp noodles. “Thank you.” She finally opened her eyes, to see Thomas towering over her.

She had not seen him since Christmas, and saw that he had shaven his beard off, and cut his hair. She smiled up at him, and he couldn’t help but see how she changed as well. She had recently cut her hair so it only reached her shoulders and once again had side swept bangs that  dawned on her forehead. “Hello Mr. Bossman.”

“Hello stranger.” he laughed as he hoisted Genevieves head against his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her.

“Thanks.” She said as she stood up and wiggled her arms around trying to shake off their tiredness and the pins and needles that were beginning to overcome her.

They walked out of the church together in silence, neither knowing what to say.

“So, how are things at the office?”

“Good, busy. But good. And yourself, how is work going? Doing a lot of traveling lately?”

Elizabeth chuckled, “It’s good. I’m slowly upping the work load, but the farthest I have traveled so far is Wales.”

Thomas nodded, and noticed that the camera that had become, yet again, a fixture on her person, was not there. “Not taking photos today?”

“No,” she smiled and shook her head, “I had a friend of mine who owed me a favor do everything today. I just wanted to be a part of the moment rather on the other side of it for once.”

A smile sneaked onto Thomas’s face as he heard that statement. He couldn’t help but think how far she had since moving out of the house.

“Hows Rufio?”

“Huge!,” she laughed. “The yard isn’t enough for him anymore, I have to take him out around the neighborhood, sometimes we walk all the way to Hyde and back. You should come by and see him.”

“Maybe I will.” he said as they reached the threshold and he allowed her to go out first.

“I’d like that.” she smiled as she walked ahead of him.

The rest of the night was a blur with the dancing, drinking, and merriment. Elizabeth danced, with her goddaughter as a permanent fixture upon her hip. The girl had become overly attached of her godmother within the last couple of months, and would always be with her when ever her schedule would allow it. Rufio had come to love the tiny human himself as well.

As the night progressed, the toddler had yet again fallen asleep against her godmother, and Elizabeth just continued dancing with her attached to her hip. She felt a sense of being happiness and completeness when ever she had that girl with her. It had convinced her that she was ready to adopt. Of course she had to work her busy schedule into something smaller, but there was still time for that. For the last couple of songs, Elizabeth just danced with the sleeping toddler in her arms, when Thomas suddenly appeared again. A smirk on his face.

“May I have this dance?”

She let out a quiet laugh, as she outstretched her free hand, “Why yes you may.”

He let a tiny chuckle out as he pulled her towards him and Genevieve began to stir in her arms causing it to be harder for them to dance. The situation just caused them to laugh even more as they simply held hands and swayed to the music.

“I liked your beard.” she finally says breaking their silence.

“Really?” he asked with a hint of curiosity.

“Yeah.” she said as he spinned her. “It added a sort of manliness to that boyish face of yours.”

“Hey!” he said as she faced him again only to let go of his hand to push up a falling Genevieve on her. Elizabeth laughed at his expression.

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I meant it in a,” Elizabeth rolled her eyes into the air as she looked for the words to say as if they would appear in midair. Thomas let a laugh out as she still didn’t say anything. “I meant it,” she said laughing, “As in I liked the fuzz on your face. It made you look more adult.”

This time he let out a boisterous laugh, as he threw his head back. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

She just shrugged her shoulders with a smirk on her face, “Maybe.”

“Oh, that American charm of yours.” he sighed as he nodded his head.

She felt a tug at her heart strings, American charm. She remembered the first time he said that to her on a bus on her way to an assignment. Never wanted to admit it, but deep down she missed him. Hell, regretted leaving in the first place.

But a recent conversation with her friend Mia, back in the states, changed her mind. She had given her some bad advice the last time they talked regarding a relationship of hers, and recently when they talked, Mia updated her about her relationship and it was blossoming well. Which made her  think about her mistakes.

As the party began to thin out, Elizabeth grew some courage and walked back to Thomas, who was getting ready to leave.

“Hey,” she blurted a bit loudly and mentally began to kick herself for how she approached that.

“Hey,” he said back flashing back one of those smiles that used to melt her heart.

“Hey,” she said again and shook her head, you already said that. “I have the next couple of weeks off cus I’ll be taking care of Genny, while Jamie and Simon are on their honeymoon. I just wanted to say you’re more than welcome to come over. If you want that is!”

The basketball that was his heart began to bounce, as she herself bounced on her heels trying to balance the toddler. “Of course.”

“Okay.” she smiled and they stood there in awkward silence. Genevieve began to stir and Elizabeth began to rock her. “I should get her home now. See ya?”

“Definitely.” Thomas said as she began to turn away.

“Night.”

“Good night."


	16. Aniyah&Anton&Elizabeth&Moira&Thomas Too

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for taking this journey with me. I am sad to see it end, but all things end,right.  
> <3 SBT

“Mommy! Wake up!” Elizabeth opened her eyes to see a 6 year old bouncing up and down to the side of her. “Mommy!” she laughed as she crawled up and nuzzled her nose against Elizabeths.

“Good morning Aniyah darling.” Elizabeth smiled as she pushed herself up, her daughters hair had began to bounce out of the cornrows it was tightly packed in, and was springing to life. She had adopted Aniyah when she was 2 years old, and dared not changed her name when the adoption agency informed her she could. Someone had taken great care to give her a name. It’s not up to you to change it. She told herself. “Do you want me to undo your braids?”

Anayiah smiled as she nodded, “Yes, daddy doesn’t know how to do it, he pulled too hard.”

Letting a laugh out, the girl turned around and sat on the edge of the bed awaiting her mother to come over and begin to work her fingers, fast but gentle after years of practice, undoing her braids as her hair bounced to life. After undoing her braids, her mother ran her hands through the coils untangling it the most she could, without yanking on it, and let her daughters afro come to life.

“Thank you mommy.” she said smiled as she kissed her mother's cheek and ran back out of the room.

Elizabeth took in a deep breath, before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and massaging her aching lower back. Looking at the alarm clock on the nightstand she saw it was 2 in the afternoon, the nap she had laid down to take at 12, obviously took longer than she intended. She wasn’t planning on getting up, until the ever growing bump situated on her abdomen, had the need to kick her. “Okay, okay, I’ll get up.” she said to it as she rubbed her hands on it.

Before walking out, she stopped at her vanity and quickly brushed her hair into a side ponytail to get it out of her way, and continued out into the hallway. She laughed as she looked down the hall, glitter and trucks littered the hallway. Aniyah's shoes rested at the top of the stairs, and Anton’s superhero figurines decorated the stairs. Shaking her head with a smile, she tightly held onto the banister as she made her way down towards the yard where all the commotion was.

The sliding glass door was open, and she stood inside the library laughing at the sight in front of her. Anton chased his older sister around the yard, who was chasing their father who was chasing Rufio. Mud caked their faces and wide smiles. When the four of them would go out for outings people would question how the four were related, seeing as they varied from a wide variety of color palettes, accents and skin tones. Anton and Aniyah would usually shy away and become somewhat ashamed, their parents would laugh off the questions. They were a family that was all that mattered.

“Well look who has finally woken up.” Their father says as he leaves the three to play.

“Well, someone forgot to wake me up after an hour,” Elizabeth said as she walked out of the library and into the yard, “Like they promised me to do so.”

Now in the garden she could see how the light shined on his curls, and smiled at the wrinkles around his eyes as he smiled at her. “Well,” he said as he placed a tender kiss on her lips and ran his hand over her bulging abdomen, “It seemed like you needed the rest.” And kissed her again.

“Eww,” Anton said as he ran over to his mothers side and wrapped his arms around what ever bit of waist she had left.

Aniyah wrapped her arms around her fathers waist and looked up at him with a wide eyes and huge smile, “Can we have ice cream?”

“Oh!” Elizabeth’s eyes widened at the idea, looked down at Aniyah and back at her husband. “Can we?”

“Ehehehe,” he laughed as he picked up his daughter and the four headed inside, “How about you and your brother pick up your toys, and maybe, I’ll take us all out.”

“Okay!” the two said in unison as they ran off to do as they were told.

Elizabeth and her husband began to clean off Rufio, when all the sudden Elizabeth stood straight up.

“Thomas,” she simply said softly.

“Yes, love?” he said not looking up from Rufio.

“Thomas, you need to call Ben or Jaime.”

“Why? Dinner isn’t ready yet, I told them to come over at fi-”

“Thomas!” she said with an urgency that he never heard before. He turned around to see her pants wet and her hands holding onto the bottom of her protruding belly. “It’s time.”

“Oh bloody hell!” Thomas exclaimed as he stood next to her and led her back into the house, and sat her on the couch. He reached in his pocket for his phone as Elizabeth began to take deep breaths trying to keep herself calm as he dialed Jaime, but the contractions were beginning.

“Mommy?” Anton said as he walked over, scared for the look on his mothers face.

“Baby, it’s okay.” Elizabeth tried sounding reassuring for her son in between pants.

“Okay, Jaime is on her way,” Thomas said as he returned to his wife's side. Aniyah  and Anton stood next to the couch as their mother breathed deeply, “It’s going to be okay.” Elizabeth again reassured her children, with as much of a smile as she could muster.

“Aniyah, take Anton up to your bedroom, your aunt Jaime is on her way. Mommy and daddy are going to the doctors.”  

“Okay,” Aniyah said nodding as she took her brothers hand and led Anton away.

“Thomas,” Elizabeth said in between breaths, “Go with them, they’re scared.”

“They are going to be okay Elizabeth, you need me more right now.”

Elizabeth was going to argue, when Jaime burst through the front door with Genevieve. The teenager stared wide eyed at her godmother, “You’re gonna pop!” she blurted.

“Gen!” Jaime snapped as she walked over to the other side of Elizabeth, “Go up stairs and check on An and Anton!”

The teenager did as she was told and left Jaime and Thomas to help Elizabeth out to the car.

“How did you get here so quick?” Thomas asked as he opened the car door for Elizabeth.

“We were already on our way over.” Jaime said as she helped Elizabeth in. “Now go!”

Thomas got situated in the driver side and drove his pregnant wife to the hospital.

\--

Hours after  coaching, hand squeezing, obscenity spewing, intense labor, Moira Belle, was welcomed into the world.

After the nurses cleaned her up, Elizabeth held onto her daughter with such strength and tenderness, and realized that she had made the right choice by not changing her children's names when adopting them. Their biological mothers had gone through the same intense pain she just did, and still had the thought to give them a name, before handing their children over. Elizabeth had adopted them both when they were 2 years old, and didn't know the details of why they were given up, such was the story with closed adoptions. 

Thomas kissed her forehead as he sat carefully to the side of her, "Hello Moira." he whispered as he reached over and let his finger got trapped in her tiny grasps. "Why Moira, darling? We agreed on Belle."

Elizabeth grinned, "It was Wendy Darlings middle name." He chuckled after everything she had gone through, she was still the same Elizabeth he met in the red dress, who dressed like a fairy for her birthday, and believed in the magic of love.

Later that night, her room was filled with flowers and balloons. Everyone had come to congratulate them. JJ and his wife Neve, Benedict and Jeanette, Jaime and Simon showed up with Genevieve, Aniyah and Anton, and so many other people that they lost track of who was coming and going. The next day after checking the infants and mothers vitals, they were released. 

Walking in to their home Elizabeth couldn't help but smile. Aniyah and Anton would not stop fussing over the newborn, and Thomas refused to let her out of his arms. 

As she sat and rested on couch, Aniyah curled up against her, "Mommy, you're crying." she said as she reached up and wiped her mothers cheek. 

"Oh darling," Elizabeth smiled as she pulled her daughter closer to her, looking at Thomas and Anton fuss over the infant. "It's because I am so happy to have you all." 

Sure, it wasn't what she had planned or thought her life would ever be. But it was perfect. 


End file.
